


September Blues by MJ

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 02:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/793042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blair's snapping and Jim wants to know why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	September Blues by MJ

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a long time since I have had a mild version of Blair's problem but I still remember it.
> 
> This story assumes that Blair did become a detective. 

## September Blues

by MJ

Author's disclaimer: Someone...Petfly?...owns 'em but we appreciate them. No infringement of whatever, no money. Just love.

* * *

September 30th, Cascade PD 

"Not now." Blair didn't even look up. 

"But I need it now. We have six people..." 

His eyes snapped up, fiery. "I SAID NOT...now." Blair stared at the uniformed officer flinching away from him and cursed softly under his breath. "Look..." 

The officer held up his hands and back up a step before turning and striding out of Major Crimes. 

Blair shoved the file he had been trying to read across his desk and ran a hand through his hair, surprized for a moment at its shortness. He had cut it when he went to the Academy so that it was still long on top but did not extend below mid ear. It was starting to grow out again but certainly was nowhere near its former length yet. 

Everything was changed, different. He liked different, didn't he? Wasn't he the one that liked to try new things? Shit! He did like this being a detective business. He really did. 

With a sigh he pulled the file back and starting reviewing it again. He was about half way through the forensic report from Serena Chang when Jim came back from court. 

"Got that file summarized yet, Chief?" 

"No." 

"What was that? You've been at it what nearly two hours and not done yet? You used to read all those anthro books way faster than that." 

"I'm not done, ok and if you don't leave me alone I will not be done. Damn, so much bloody noise in here I can't concentrate." He grabbed up the file and stalked off to one of the empty interview rooms. 

H., who had nearly been run down by Blair's exit, danced to one side. "Whoa there, Hairboy, watch those turn signals!" 

"Watch it yourself," Blair snarled and he slammed the door of the interview room behind him. 

"Yow, Jim, what is up with your partner? You been feeding that boy raw meat?" 

"Don't ask me, I just got back from court. You and Rafe been ragging him?" 

H raised his hands. "No way, man. He has a gun now and knows how to use it. But seriously, that is not the Blair I know. He get left at the Academy?" 

Jim was staring off to the interview room Blair was in, listening to the thundering of the younger man's heart. He shook his head. "I sure hope not, H. Let's just give him a little space. We all have our bad days." 

"Sure...but not Hairboy. Least, not until now." H put on his headphones and returned to reviewing his own case files. 

Blair came back in about an hour and handed Jim the file and a summary sheet without a word. He pulled another file out of the stack of ten on his desk and started to read through it. While Jim read the summary, he took a few surreptitious glances at his partner. Blair seemed calm now and Jim was inclined to ignore the outburst. Better to let things be forgotten. 

They worked quietly on the files until the end of afternoon, speaking only briefly to compare notes. When Simon asked for a report on their progress, Blair left it to Jim to bring the Captain up to date on the leads they were pursuing. 

"Looks like there might be pattern here, sir. Need to speak to some of the witnesses in these other cases before we can be sure." 

"Good. Look, it's five. Take off now and finish them tomorrow. Good work, both of you." 

Blair said nothing but nodded and left the Captain's office. Simon raised an eyebrow at Jim to which the big cop just shrugged slightly. 

"Keep an eye on him." 

"Yes, sir. Good night." 

"Good night." Banks returned to his desk and picked up another file sent in for his review. 

* * *

The trip home had been largely quiet, just a short discussion about picking up Thai food for supper. Blair slipped out of the truck and went into the Thai Gardens to pick up what he had ordered by cell phone. He was back in a few minutes and the delicious aromas wafting from the bag had Jim driving a bit faster than usual to get home. 

Supper was also quiet without the usual Sandburg chatter. They cleared the table together and, dishes done and away, Jim headed to the couch to watch a Jags game. Blair went to take a shower and then disappeared into his room wrapped in a towel. 

When he did not reappear, Jim called out, "Chief, game's starting." 

The door to Blair's room opened a bit." Going to do some reading tonight." 

"Sure. Want me to turn it down?" 

"Not necessary." The French doors clicked shut. 

Jim focussed on watching the game and not intruding into Blair's privacy but when there was a substantial crash from Blair's room followed by a string of curses, he was up and at the door in seconds. 

"You ok, Chief?" 

"Nothing, Jim," mumbled. 

"Not nothing. Sounded like a minor earthquake in there." He pushed at the right hand door and it swung in. 

A shelf in Blair's bookcase had fallen, spilling books onto the floor. Blair was on his knees picking them up. He flashed a glare at Jim. 

"I don't recall asking you to come in." 

"Just wanted to make sure you were all right." Jim's surprize at Blair's snapped rebuke made his own reply a bit hard edged. 

"So, you've made sure. Now back out." The face was red with anger. Blair grabbed up one of the fallen books, one that had had its spine broken in the fall, and with force, threw it onto the re-affixed shelf. 

"Easy on the innocent bystanders, Chief. " Maybe a little humour would defuse things. 

Blair rose to his feet and stormed over to the door. Jim stepped back and just missed getting hit as the door was slammed shut. Now he was worried. This was so unlike Blair, Mr. Calm and Centred. But he realized he was not going to get anything out of his roommate now while he was in this temper. 

He sat back on the sofa but had a hard time concentrating on the game. After fifteen minutes he gave up, turned off the set and took his own shower. When he came out, all was quiet and dark in Blair's room. Jim headed to bed. 

* * *

Next morning Blair was quieter than usual but seemingly back to his calm and collected self. He had breakfast on the table when Jim came out of the bathroom and was humming along with the song on the radio. Jim was relieved. Blair had simply had an off day. The Sentinel ate his scrabbled eggs with relish and prepared himself for another day of casework at his desk. 

The morning dragged along but they got through all the case files that were left. By lunchtime, Jim was in serious need of a break from being cooped up in the office. 

"How about we go to that new restaurant you mentioned for lunch? The Wan Woo Hoo?" 

"Wan Wo Chu. Bit far to go for lunch. Thought I'd just grab a sandwich and review these files again before we brief Simon." 

"Trying to be teacher's pet?" Jim grinned at him. 

The reaction was unexpected and incredible. Blair leapt to his feet and snapped, "I am trying to do the job I am being paid for. I'm fed up hearing I am just some kid riding on the coat tails of the Cop of the Year." He stalked out of Major Crimes and headed down the hall to the men's room. 

Damn. Whatever was eating his partner had not gone away, just underground. They had to get this into the open and dealt with. His problem was that he was terrible at this sort of thing. Feeling like a lion tamer facing a rogue lion, Jim rose and followed Blair. 

As Jim reached the men's room door, Blair strode out and ran right into him. 

"Whoa, Chief." Jim's hands had automatically come up to grasp his partner's upper arms. When he didn't immediately let go, Blair jerked back but Jim held on. 

"Let go." 

"No, not until you tell me what is going on." "Let me go!" 

"No. We need..." Jim was interrupted by the appearance of two uniformed officers heading into the washroom. "Ok, not here. Come on. The interview room is empty." 

"No." Blair started back toward Major Crimes. 

Jim darted in front of him. "We need to talk. You are my partner and partners let each other know what is going on. The interview room, now." He went into his implacable cop mode. 

Blair stared at him and then relented, striding into the interview room. He stood at the far side of the room, at first back to the door but then turning to face Jim, hands clenched at his sides. Definitely an aggressive-defensive posture. 

Jim closed the door and leaned against the wall, waiting. Blair was silent, unmoving. Jim was prepared to wait him out. It took a five long minutes until Blair started pacing, an indication that words would follow. 

"So, I have been a bit irritable. Aren't I allowed to be?" 

"For you, you have been berserk." Very quietly. 

"What!? How can you say that?" Blair growled. 

"Because I have known you for four years and I have never seen you snarl at anyone the way you have in the last two days. Not just at me. At H. and others." 

Blair's eyes got wide and then closed. "I know. I know. I can't seem to..." 

"It is not like you. Please tell me what is wrong and let me help." 

"You can't." Quiet and sad. 

"Try me. I'm a Sentinel, remember. Remarkable powers?" 

"Aw, Jim, not even remarkable powers will help." He wrapped his arms around his chest and rocked on his heels. 

"Well, maybe regular listening will do. Come on, you have told me many times that partners deal with troubles by sharing them. So, partner, share." Jim had moved closer, now barely two feet from Blair. 

Blair nodded but said nothing. Jim kept his silence, giving Blair time. Then a sigh and a soft, "It's September, you see." 

Jim didn't see but he hoped there would be more to explain it. 

"September. When ... when for all those years..." 

Maybe a supportive comment. "Mmmm." 

"When school starts." 

Oh, damn, of course. 

"I mean, this is the first September in 25 years that I am not...going back to school. And I ...". The voice wobbled and stopped. 

Jim slipped a bit closer, one hand almost touching Blair's arm. 

"It's not like I completed it, you know? All that time, all that effort, moving toward the doctorate and here I am..." 

Jim's hand ran up Blair's arm and curved around his bicep. 

"So the month ended and I wasn't back there and I ..." 

He stepped right up and put an arm around Blair's shoulder. Blair leaned into him and Jim's other arm came up to enclose the person he cared about most in the world. Blair's arms slipped around Jim and they stood together, wordless, just holding on. 

It was Blair who broke the embrace first. "You must think I am an awful wimp." 

"No. Doing research, learning and teaching, the joy you have for the pursuit of knowledge. That is a large part of who you are. School, your doctorate work, that was the way you did that. It is gone and you are grieving its loss. Perfectly natural. I am surprized it took so long to appear this openly. " 

Blair stared at him. "Who are you and where is Jim?" 

"I can do the 90's sensitive guy thing. After all, I have enhanced senses." 

A smile that spread all the way to Blair's eyes. "Yah and I need to appreciate that more. Thanks, man." 

Jim smiled back, his heart much lighter. "My pleasure. Speaking of which, this sensitive guy is getting awfully hungry. Wan Boo Hoo?" 

Blair pushed him away. "Wan Wo Chu. You are so unPC. You paying?" 

"Nope. We sensitive guys are beyond the macho grabbing-the-bill thing." 

"That sounds like an excuse to be cheap, man." 

They headed out of the interview room and encountered H. Brown in the hallway. H looked warily at Blair but when he received the patented Sandburg smile, he grinned. 

"Hey, H., we're just going to lunch. Want to join us?" 

"Going to some new age vegetarian place, right? No way." 

"Naw, man. Wan Wo Chu, that new Singapore Chinese place on Keefer." 

"Yah. Heard its great." 

"Yup. And Jim is buying." 

"What?! I am there, man." 

Jim's scowl was for show only. 

End 


End file.
